Looking back through history, men have always worn jewellery to denote status. From lip plugs in Africa to Sir Walter Raleigh’s saucy pearl earring, fancy papal accessories to Elvis’ bead knuckledusters, men have every right to love wearing jewellery.
Since watches will be the most accepted form of man adornment now, let us take a look at the bead Diamond watches for guys that may never be confused as a watch for women. Beyond the blinding bling of rapper’s watches, you’ll be happy to know that there’s a select world of watches out there that show that diamonds can be a man’s best friend.
Hublot: an icy cocktail of diamonds in a sapphire crystal glass
As they say, if you’ve got it, flaunt it and among the best ways to show what you are about in the watchmaking world is with a sapphire crystal case. Sapphire crystal cases are the big thing these days, allowing an X-ray view of each last component of a watch.
Devilishly hard to machine and generally reserved for ultra limited editions, a laRichard Mille, sapphire is your second-hardest substance on Earth after diamond and is almost impossible to scratch. That is the reason why a sour cocktail of those ultra-resilient materials made perfect sense to the designers over in Hublot watches when they came up with the Big Bang Unico Sapphire Baguettes watch. Together with the intricate mechanics of a flyback chronograph on full perspective, the bezel has been set with a discreet sprinkling of 48 baguette-cut diamonds.
To take the Big Bang’s sporty-chic spirit to new heights, the watchmakers from Nyon imagined a new bracelet which fuses completely with the case and forms its natural extension.
The Big Bang Integral adorns three different materials. The first showcases polished titanium, the second, in King Gold, dazzles on the wrist, whilst the third is proposed as a 500-piece All Black limited edition fashioned in satin-brushed black ceramic.
The last creations of late artist Carlos Cruz Diez are center staged in an ultimate partnership initiated with Hublot. Limited series which, at the same time, become collectors.
“An ephemeral, autonomous and ever evolving reality”. A definition of time? Perhaps, but here, it is actually the perception of Carlos Cruz Diez (1923-2019), the Venezuela-born artist-painter, on… color. Color, a key component of his work, is considered as a chromatic phenomenon which constantly changes based on the viewer’s interpretation and on light. This vision seduced Hublot. The Classic Fusion Cruz Diez limited editions unveiled by the brand are the last-ever creations of the artist during his lifetime. They are proposed in two diameters, 38 mm and 45 mm, and available in three materials, respectively in 100 and in 25 pieces in ceramic, the same quantity in titanium, and in 30 and 20 pieces in King Gold. Each piece hosts a sapphire-crystal caseback featuring Cruz Diez’s signature.
This marvel is made possible by the caliber MHUB1100.H3. This self-winding movement delivers a power reserve of some 42 hours. Each piece is complemented by a black rubber and calfskin strap featuring printed colored stripes.
For the Dubai Watch Week last November 20 to 24, the Nyon-based watchmaker presented an exclusive edition equipped with an anticlockwise time reading.
Who has never wondered why the hands on a watch rotate from left to right? The answer is historical, but also geographical. The movement of the hands on the first clocks was inspired by the shadow of the gnomon on a sundial. In the Northern Hemisphere, as the Sun rises in the East and sets in the West, passing by due South around noon, the shadow cast by the gnomon moves in this direction. So this rotation sets the pace for our timepieces. Hublot proposes letting us live at our own pace with the Classic Fusion Special Edition Bronze Anticlockwise.
This limited edition of just 100 timepieces is worn on a grey calfskin leather strap and also stands out by the material selected for its case. The watchmaker has made the fusion of materials its leitmotif, but this is the first time it has used bronze to machine the body of one of its watches. It forms a natural patina over time. All these features make this model a must have for collectors.
This new limited series with its large power reserve is a concentration of the spirit of the watchmaker from Nyon. The movement and the choice of materials contribute to this timepiece’s powerful design.
Once again, the art of fusion so dear to Hublot brilliantly comes to life with the Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon Blue. This timepiece thus combines mechanical excellence and sophisticated esthetics obtained through the use of high-tech materials, a colored carbon fiber in this case. The 42-mm tonneau-shaped case is dressed in unique blue and black motifs. It protects the striking architecture of the movement, highlighted by the total absence of a dial. The straight lines and the curves of the movement’s components come together to create a living sculpture upon which the hour and minute hands come to life on an off-centered disc at 3 o’clock. A power reserve indicator at 8 o’clock balances out the composition. At 6 o’clock, the regulating organ magnifies the whole, making a complete rotation on itself in its cage in one minute.
For the first time, the Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon Blue also has the One-Click quick release system that lets you easily change the watchband supplied, which is made of structured blue-lined rubber with a titanium and ceramic folding buckle.
Made from a new translucent green material and with an extraordinary power reserve, the new model from the Nyon-based watchmaker is offered in an exclusive series of 20 pieces.
With a diameter of 45 mm and a thickness of 14.40 mm, and resembling a large structured emerald, the case is spectacular and reveals the gleaming mechanism of the HUB9011 caliber, and the seven barrels connected in series that it houses. Thanks to the energy produced by these barrels which is transmitted by a helical gear wheel, this manual-winding movement can offer an impressive power reserve of 14 days. This is indicated on the matte black openwork dial at 8 o’clock. In addition, the undulating curve of the bezel decorated with six H-shaped black titanium screws accentuates the lower part of the face of this Big Bang MP-11 SAXEM. The hours and minutes are displayed at 12 o’clock and are highlighted with a luminescent green material.
Well accustomed to sometimes surprising collaborations, the Nyon-based watchmaker has this time chosen to support the conservation of the rhinoceros, a magnificent wild animal facing the threat of extinction, by joining forces with SORAI to create a new limited-edition piece.
Part of the proceeds of this exclusive Hublot will be donated to saving this magnificent mammal.
Gray not your cup of tea? Then, why not opt for all the colors of the rainbow on your wrist with this edition decorated with a colorful setting of precious stones.
Isaac Newton subjectively defined the rainbow into 7 different colors. Hublot is repeating this exercise with the Big Bang Unico Rainbow King Gold. In this regard, bright red, fuchsia pink, ultraviolet, dark blue, turquoise, chlorophyll green, lemon yellow and bright orange are combined on the bezel and 45 mm case to create an extravagant and in no way ordinary timepiece. To achieve this result, no less than 436 stones have been selected. Eight dazzling gemstones – rubies, pink sapphires, amethysts, blue sapphires, blue topazes, tsavorites, yellow sapphires and orange sapphires – are used in this daring chromatic creation.
The Big Bang Unico Rainbow King Gold comes with a multicolor strap, which combines natural rubber and alligator to offer a comfortable flexible fit. It has the Hublot patented One Click system which allows it to be easily switched.
Bring the Gran Turismo spirit to your wrist with the new chronograph equipped with a powerful engine and a light structure to ensure uncompromising performance.
Since the start of their collaboration in 2011, Hublot and Ferrari have not ceased to amaze us with sporty models built like race cars. This year, the pair have moved up a gear and are offering an adrenaline-pumping model which takes the shape of the Classic Fusion Ferrari GT 3D Carbon. The design was left to the Centro Stile team in Maranello where the legendary Italian sports cars are conceived. The result? The livery of the timepiece has even more finesse and dynamism. The Classic Fusion case is just 13.15 mm thick. The designers also opted for a generous sapphire crystal which reveals the cutting-edge mechanism. The pushers echo the shape of the rear lights of the GT. While the choice of material, 3D carbon, a polymer matrix composite, stands out for its light and durable properties.
The Classic Fusion Ferrari GT 3D Carbon is a 500-piece limited edition. It comes with a black rubber strap covered with Schedoni leather, just like the seats of the GT from the brand with the prancing horse. Two other versions are also available: one in a titanium case and the other made of King Gold.
After Ibiza, the Nyon-based watchmaker chose Mykonos as its next destination. Inspired by the azure blue waters of the Aegean Sea, it has created a limited edition dedicated to the most famous island of the Cyclades with both a party atmosphere and a peaceful side to it too.
For the eighth consecutive time since 2012, Hublot is setting sail for Mykonos. Following its summer voyage which recently led it to Ibiza, the watchmaker has now chosen to embark on the famous Cycladic island. Although it is known for its nightlife, this Greek enclave, situated less than 120 miles from Piraeus, the principal port of Athens, still has a uniquely gentle way of life. Surrounded by the turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea and symbolized by the profile of its windmills, Mykonos is brimming with beautiful beaches that gleam in the sunlight. It is this peaceful spirit that the watch brand wanted to reproduce at the heart of a new limited-edition Classic Fusion Chronograph Mykonos.
The reverse is numbered and engraved with the words “Mykonos edition”, while the front reveals all the secret cogs which power the watch. The ruthenium or gold plating of the index markers, central hour and minute hands and chronograph seconds as well as the contour of the minute counter at 9 o’clock makes them seem as though they are hovering in midair. The small seconds dial at 3 o’clock is decorated with the blue-lacquered silhouette of the sails of the famous windmills.
A black rubber strap with a wide turquoise blue alligator stripe and a folding buckle make this Classic Fusion Chronograph Mykonos extremely comfortable to wear.
The Big Bang Integral adorns three different materials. The first showcases polished titanium, the second, in King Gold, dazzles on the wrist, whilst the third is proposed as a 500-piece All Black limited edition fashioned in satin-brushed black ceramic.
This marvel is made possible by the caliber MHUB1100.H3. This self-winding movement delivers a power reserve of some 42 hours. Each piece is complemented by a black rubber and calfskin strap featuring printed colored stripes.
This limited edition of just 100 timepieces is worn on a grey calfskin leather strap and also stands out by the material selected for its case. The watchmaker has made the fusion of materials its leitmotif, but this is the first time it has used bronze to machine the body of one of its watches. It forms a natural patina over time. All these features make this model a must have for collectors.
For the first time, the Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon Blue also has the One-Click quick release system that lets you easily change the watchband supplied, which is made of structured blue-lined rubber with a titanium and ceramic folding buckle.
With a diameter of 45 mm and a thickness of 14.40 mm, and resembling a large structured emerald, the case is spectacular and reveals the gleaming mechanism of the HUB9011 caliber, and the seven barrels connected in series that it houses. Thanks to the energy produced by these barrels which is transmitted by a helical gear wheel, this manual-winding movement can offer an impressive power reserve of 14 days. This is indicated on the matte black openwork dial at 8 o’clock. In addition, the undulating curve of the bezel decorated with six H-shaped black titanium screws accentuates the lower part of the face of this Big Bang MP-11 SAXEM. The hours and minutes are displayed at 12 o’clock and are highlighted with a luminescent green material.
Part of the proceeds of this exclusive Hublot will be donated to saving this magnificent mammal.
The Big Bang Unico Rainbow King Gold comes with a multicolor strap, which combines natural rubber and alligator to offer a comfortable flexible fit. It has the Hublot patented One Click system which allows it to be easily switched.
The Classic Fusion Ferrari GT 3D Carbon is a 500-piece limited edition. It comes with a black rubber strap covered with Schedoni leather, just like the seats of the GT from the brand with the prancing horse. Two other versions are also available: one in a titanium case and the other made of King Gold.
The reverse is numbered and engraved with the words “Mykonos edition”, while the front reveals all the secret cogs which power the watch. The ruthenium or gold plating of the index markers, central hour and minute hands and chronograph seconds as well as the contour of the minute counter at 9 o’clock makes them seem as though they are hovering in midair. The small seconds dial at 3 o’clock is decorated with the blue-lacquered silhouette of the sails of the famous windmills.